Rights group responds to letter from controversial peer

The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has responded to a letter it received from the unelected controversial member of the House of Lords, John Woodcock, who had written to a number of civil society organisations and mosques earlier this month.

According to the IHRC, Woodcock’s letter contained no specific accusations or allegations but only a number of “unevidenced insinuations”.

Woodcock, who previously acted as the British government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption was removed from the position in February 2025. A former chair of Labour Friends of Israel and a lobbyist for the oil and arms industry, Woodcock gained notoriety for his well-known right-wing and authoritarian views. In a report submitted to the government in 2024, Woodcock urged Britain’s political leaders to take a “zero-tolerance approach” to pro-Palestine and climate protesters.

In its response to the pro-Israel lobbyist the IHRC said:

“We are concerned that you are using your position as a peer inappropriately in connection with this report. Please clarify the capacity in which you are writing it (for example, in a personal capacity or on behalf of a parliamentary role or body).”

Read the full text of the IHRC letter here.